Adjustable bed table with controls therefor at table location



Oct. 26, 1954 A, GRACE 2,692,806

ADJUSTABLE BED TABLE WITH CONTROLS THEREF'OR AT TABLE LOCATION Filed 001'.. 23, 1951 ALEXANDER GRACE Patented Oct. 26, 1954 ADJUSTABLE BED TABLE WITH CONTROLS THEREFOR, AT TABLE LOCATION Alexander Grace, Agincourt, Ontario, Canada Application October 23, 1951, Serial No. 252,603

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tables for hospital beds and for use in the home for invalids or persons confined to bed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a -bed table as aforesaid which can be conveniently adjusted by the user to any position to suit him and will securely hold its adjusted position to afford rrn support to take the weight of an object or the user himself when shifting position.

Another important object is to provide a table which will nt substantially all beds and when not `in use can be conveniently stored against the underside of the bed clear of the oor andwhen required can be instantly brought up at either side of' the bed and quickly adjusted to the desired position.

The principal feature of the invention consists in mounting a table supported for horizontal movement transversely of the bed and for adjustable movement about mutually perpendicular, normally horizontal and vertical axes on a slide or carriage movable transversely of the bed frame beneath the bed and providing a connection between the slide and table support to permit the table and support to be swung to a position supported in suspension beneath the bed frame or to be carried to and brought up at either side of the bed.

A further feature consists in constructing the table support extending at right `angles to the travel of the slide or carriage so that it is extensible to` provide height adjustment for said table.

These and other objects and features will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a bed having a table embodying theinvention secured thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a part elevational part sectional detail of the connection between the extensible support arm and lateral slide or carriage arm.

Figure 4 is an elevational detail of the extensible support arm showing the locking latch therefor.

Figure 5 is a part elevational part sectional detail of the connection between the extensible arm and table-carrying arm.

Figures 6 and 7 are plan and elevational details of the brake joint in the table-supporting arm.

Figure S is a sectional detail of the table assembly taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 9.

Figure 9 is a transverse section of the table assembly on line 9-9 of Figure 3.

With reference to the drawings, Figure 1, I represents the longitudinal side rails of a bed frame supporting springs 2 and mattress 3 represented in diagrammatic form.

Carried from the rails I by channel brackets il is a tube 5 extending transversely of the bed frame and supported therebeneath to form a trackway in which a tube or carriage 6 slides. The tube 5 has a slot 'l in its underside. The slide or carriage E carries a depending vertical shaft 8 extending through the slot 'l and having a head 9 formed thereon or secured thereto.

Received on the shaft 8 between the head 9 and a collar l0 is the collar Il of a horizontal shaft l2 free to rotate in a horizontal plane but lockable in adjusted positions by locking screw I3 adapted to enter notches I4 in the shaft t.

An extensible support comprising a shaft l5 and a sleeve Hi slidably mounted thereon is mounted to rotate on the shaft i2 by the collar l1 secured to the end of shaft l5 and rotating between head I8 and collar le of the shaft i2 and locked by set screw Il.

The sleeve 16 is provided with a slot 2t regis tering with a series of notches 2i formed in the shaft l5. A latch 22 pivoted tothe end df a lever 23 and sliding on an abutment 2d is urged by spring 25 into theslot 22 to enter a selected notch 2l to maintain the shaft l5 and sleeve i6 in desired position of extension. Lever 23 is pivoted intermediate its length at 26 and is operated by a cord 2l which can be controlled from above the bed by the person using the table.

A pull, on cord 2l will swing the lower end of latch 22 downwardly and inwardly and the latch in sliding on its abutment 2d will move outwardly at the upper end t0 clear the. notches 2 Il.

The upper end of the sleeve i6 has secured thereto a socket 28 provided with a lateral extension 29. The socket receives the head 30 of a U-shaft 3l with the plug 32 threading into the socket to maintain the shaft locked in position.

A plunger 33 mounted in the extension 29 and urged inwardly by spring 34 engaging between the end wall of the extension 29 and the xed collar 35 on the plunger engage in notches 36 formed in the head 30 to lock the U-shaft in different positions of rotation.

The end of shaft 3l is reduced at 31 to form a rectangular tongue pivoted between the forked end 3B of the table bar 39. The table bar is adapted to jack-knife about its pivot 40 into adjacent relation to the extensible support lB-I 6 3 when the table is to be stored, and when the table is in normal use above the bed a lock pin 4I inserted through the tongue 31 and forked end 38 locks the bar in a horizontal position.

Mounted on table bar 39 is a slide 42 which carries the turn-table 43 rotating about the axis of the table bar 39. The slide 42 and turn-table 43 can be locked in adjusted positions by set screws 44 and 45 respectively.

Carried on the turntable is a holder 46 provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending flange 4l beneath which the table surface or board 48 is received. Spring-urged balls 49 lock the table board in position.

The particular form of board and table holder disclosed are rectangular form but may be made circular where it is desired that the table itself rotate in its holder.

With a table such as described it will be appreciated that a person in bed can orient the table at any angle through the turntable 43 and can move it transversely of the bed by moving the slide 42 on its bar 39.

A cord 50 leading from the plunger 33 to a position adjacent the table permits the head 30 of shaft .ii to be released to swing the table bar about a Vertical axis out of the way or to a position directly over the bed.

Additionally, through operation of the cord 2l, which is brought up adjacent to the table, the

person in bed can release latch 22 to adjust the table height.

When the table is to be stored beneath the bed the plunger 33 is released to swing the table bar from the position of Figure l through 90, then with the table moved towards the pin 4I the pin can be removed to swing the table bar downwardly against the extensible support formed by shaft I and sleeve iii. Then upon threading out locking screw il', after moving the whole assembly outwardly from the side of the bed rails I on the slide or carriage t, the Whole assembly can be swung about the horizontal axis of the shaft I2 to a position beneath the bed frame, and upon threading out locking screw I3 the whole assembly rotated about the vertical axis of shaft 8 to the position of Figure l.

From the stored position it will be appreciated that the slide 6 can be moved to bring the table assembly up at either side of the bed frame. This is convenient where one side of the bed must be placed against a wall or some other obstruction.

With a bed such as described complete manipulation by the patient is readily obtained to adjust the height, position and angle of the table above the bed. The collapsing and storage of the table beneath the bed frame, while not possible from above the bed, can be very readily accomplished by removal of the pin 4I and releasing the locking screws, locking shafts I2 and I5.

While the value of such universal movement and ready control of the table will be fully appreciated, it will be understood that various changes in mechanical detail may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a bed table device, the combination with a bed frame, of post means, means movable transversely beneath said frame supporting said post means for movement about two mutually perpendicular axes to enable said post means to swing from a substantially horizontal position to an upright position at either side of said frame, said post means being extensible, means locking said post means in selectible positions of extension, a table supporting arm carried by said post means and rotatable about the axis of said post means to swing between positions at the side and above said bed frame, means locking said arm in selectible positions of rotation, a table adjustably mounted on said arm, means at the location of said table for locking said table in adjusted positions relative said arm, and means operable from the location of said table for controlling said post and arm locking means.

2. A device as claimed in claim l in which said means supporting said post means comprises a track mounted beneath said bed frame to extend transversely thereof, a carriage on said track, a vertical post carried by and extending downwardly from said carriage, a horizontal post swingable about the axis of said vertical post carried by said vertical post, and means supporting said post means from said horizontal post for rotation about the axis of said horizontal post, and means adapted to lock said horizontal post and said post means against movement about their axes of swing.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said track comprises a tube extending transversely beneath said frame and having a slot in its underside and said carriage comprises a member slidably received within said tube with said vertical post carried thereby extending through said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 563,668 Lesser July 7, 1896 i 848,469 Kohler Mar. 26, 1907 1,231,678 Walker July 3, 1917 1,936,529 Taylor Nov. 21, 1933 Y 2,183,410 Scriven Dec. 12, 1939 2,193,647 Rush et al. Mar. 12, 1940 2,460,244 Strauss Jan. 25, 1949 2,560,659 Payeur July 17, 1951 

